Ayala Sharon has never been able to stay in one place for very long. Her ambitions have taken her back and forth between the United States and Israel most of her life.

Ms. Sharon was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. Her father was a politician, and she followed in his footsteps by participating in political groups at the University of Haifa where she majored in Middle Eastern history. Ayala attempted to work for the Foreign Ministry but was unable to pass background checks since she was politically active during her college tenure. Wanting to travel instead, she left for Houston, Texas to visit her sister.

Ms. Sharon spent the next several years traveling within the United States and Israel. She fell in love with and married an American allowing her to obtain residency in the U.S. She moved to New York City in order to be closer to Israeli culture in the States. After working as a waitress and a mailroom worker, Ayala found work as a secretary at a bank despite only being able to type nine words per minute. Over time, she rose through the ranks of loan officer and branch manager, eventually becoming a regional manager. After twenty years in banking, Ms. Sharon accepted a one-third partnership with a banking software company.

Currently, Ms. Sharon is the COO for RK Software, Inc.—a certified Hub Zone and minority-owned software company. Her company works on government and private projects in both the U.S. and Bangladesh. She lives in New York with her son.